Grief Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Grief Quotes

"Grief changes shape, but it never ends."

"Grief changes shape, but it never ends."

Keanu Reeves, Canadian Actor

113

"There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief."

"There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Grief, Joy, Memory, Pain

52

"Grief walks upon the heels of pleasure; married in haste, we repent at leisure."

"Grief walks upon the heels of pleasure; married in haste, we repent at leisure."

William Congreve, English Poet

Grief, Haste, Leisure, Pleasure

41

"Grief is a process, not a state."

"Grief is a process, not a state."

Anne Grant, Scottish Poet

41

"They heard a lullaby every time a part of her died in Silence."

"They heard a lullaby every time a part of her died in Silence."

Akshay Vasu, Indian Poet

Grief, Silence, Pain, Soul, Emotion

31

"It is a sad truth in life that when someone has lost a loved one, friends sometimes avoid the person, just when the presence of friends is most needed."

"It is a sad truth in life that when someone has lost a loved one, friends sometimes avoid the person, just when the presence of friends is most needed."

Lemony Snicket, American Author

Grief, Loss, Friend, Support

30

"The substance of grief is not imaginary. It's as real as rope or the absence of air, and like both those things it can kill."

"The substance of grief is not imaginary. It's as real as rope or the absence of air, and like both those things it can kill."

Barbara Kingsolver, American Novelist

Grief, Pain, Loss, Reality

30

"There is the staircase,there is the sun.There is the kitchen,the plate with toast and strawberry jam,your subterfuge,your ordinary mirage.You stand red-handed.You want to wash yourself in earth, in rocks and grassWhat are you supposed to dowith all this loss?In the daylight we knowwhat's gone is gone,but at night it's different.Nothing gets finished,not dying, not mourning;the dead repeat themselves, like clumsy drunkslurching sideways through the doorswe open to them in sleep;these slurred guests, never entirely welcome,even those we have loved the most,especially those we have loved the most,returning from where we shoved themaway too quickly:from under the ground, from under the water,they clutch at us, they clutch at us,we won't let go."

"There is the staircase,there is the sun.There is the kitchen,the plate with toast and strawberry jam,your subterfuge,your ordinary mirage.You stand red-handed.You want to wash yourself in earth, in rocks and grassWhat are you supposed to dowith all this loss?In the daylight we knowwhat's gone is gone,but at night it's different.Nothing gets finished,not dying, not mourning;the dead repeat themselves, like clumsy drunkslurching sideways through the doorswe open to them in sleep;these slurred guests, never entirely welcome,even those we have loved the most,especially those we have loved the most,returning from where we shoved themaway too quickly:from under the ground, from under the water,they clutch at us, they clutch at us,we won't let go."

Margaret Atwood, Canadian Novelist

Grief, Loss, Mourning, Death

30

"No truth can cure the sorrow we feel from losing a loved one. No truth, no sincerity, no strength, no kindness can cure that sorrow. "

"No truth can cure the sorrow we feel from losing a loved one. No truth, no sincerity, no strength, no kindness can cure that sorrow. "

Haruki Murakami, Japanese Writer

Grief, Truth, Sorrow, Loss, Kindness

29

"She was overstrained with grief and loneliness: almost any shoulder would have done as well."

"She was overstrained with grief and loneliness: almost any shoulder would have done as well."

F. Scott Fitzgerald, American Author

Grief, Support, Emotion, Truth

29

"What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,That he should weep for her?"

"What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,That he should weep for her?"

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Grief, Loss, Truth, Wisdom, Life

29

"It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone."

"It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone."

John Steinbeck, American Author

Grief, Light, Loss, Darkness

28

"The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced. Every other wound we seek to heal - every other affliction to forget: but this wound we consider it a duty to keep open - this affliction we cherish and brood over in solitude."

"The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced. Every other wound we seek to heal - every other affliction to forget: but this wound we consider it a duty to keep open - this affliction we cherish and brood over in solitude."

Washington Irving, American Writer

Grief, Affliction, Duty, Open, Solitude

27

"In all our lives, however, there are many days when we die a little, when we are wounded by loss or failure, or by fear, or by seeing the suffering of others for whom we are able to offer only pity, for whom we are powerless to offer aid, we are beyond mercy."

"In all our lives, however, there are many days when we die a little, when we are wounded by loss or failure, or by fear, or by seeing the suffering of others for whom we are able to offer only pity, for whom we are powerless to offer aid, we are beyond mercy."

Dean Koontz, American Author

Grief, Loss, Failure, Suffering, Empathy

27

"When somebody you love dies, a phase of life's innocence dies with that person, and a part of you dies as well."

"When somebody you love dies, a phase of life's innocence dies with that person, and a part of you dies as well."

Janvier Chouteu-Chando, Cameroonian Author

Grief, Loss, Life, Love

27

"That was the hard thing about grief, and the grieving. They spoke another language, and the words we knew always fell short of what we wanted them to say."

"That was the hard thing about grief, and the grieving. They spoke another language, and the words we knew always fell short of what we wanted them to say."

Sarah Dessen, American Author

Grief, Language, Expression, Pain

27

"It is foolish to tear one's hair in grief, as though sorrow would be made less by baldness."

"It is foolish to tear one's hair in grief, as though sorrow would be made less by baldness."

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman

Grief, Hair, Sorrow

26

"Striving to tell his woes, words would not come; For light cares speak, when mighty griefs are dumb."

"Striving to tell his woes, words would not come; For light cares speak, when mighty griefs are dumb."

Samuel Daniel, English Poet

Grief, Dumb, Light, Words

26

"I feel like the writer observing the grief, but it is difficult to be detached from it."

"I feel like the writer observing the grief, but it is difficult to be detached from it."

Hugh Leonard, Irish Dramatist

26

"Losses do that. One life-loss can infect the whole of a life. Like a rash that wears through our days, our sight becomes peppered with black voids. Now everywhere we look, we only see all that isn't: holes, lack, deficiency."

"Losses do that. One life-loss can infect the whole of a life. Like a rash that wears through our days, our sight becomes peppered with black voids. Now everywhere we look, we only see all that isn't: holes, lack, deficiency."

Ann Voskamp, Canadian Author

Grief, Loss, Trauma, Absence

26

"I miss him so badly it hurts."

"I miss him so badly it hurts."

Suzanne Collins, American Novelist

Grief, Love, Loss, Pain, Emotion

26

"I can't imagine it's easy to like someone, hate them, and then lose them before any of those feelings are resolved."

"I can't imagine it's easy to like someone, hate them, and then lose them before any of those feelings are resolved."

Veronica Roth, American Author

Grief, Emotion, Loss, Love

25

"When you feel sad, you are participating in a venerable experience, to which I, this monument, am dedicated. Your sense of loss and disappointment, of frustrated hopes and grief at your own inadequacy, elevate you to serious company. Do not ignore of throw away your grief."

"When you feel sad, you are participating in a venerable experience, to which I, this monument, am dedicated. Your sense of loss and disappointment, of frustrated hopes and grief at your own inadequacy, elevate you to serious company. Do not ignore of throw away your grief."

Alain de Botton, English Writer

Grief, Sadness, Loss, Experience

25

"Not in sorrow freely is never to open the bosom to the sweets of the sunshine."

"Not in sorrow freely is never to open the bosom to the sweets of the sunshine."

William Gilmore Simms, American Novelist

Grief, Open, Sorrow

24

"Weep hard as much as you need, but do not let your tears pursue the sorrow for the rest of your life."

"Weep hard as much as you need, but do not let your tears pursue the sorrow for the rest of your life."

Munia Khan, Bangladeshi Poet

Grief, Tears, Sorrow, Healing, Emotion

24

"After our loved one dies: we cry, not because they left; but because they left us."

"After our loved one dies: we cry, not because they left; but because they left us."

Mokokoma Mokhonoana, South African Philosopher

Grief, Truth, Life, Love

24

"ABBA: The Movie; I got a lot of grief for working on that."

"ABBA: The Movie; I got a lot of grief for working on that."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

23

"Grief is a disease. We were riddled with its pockmarks, tormented by its fevers, broken by its blows. It ate at us like maggots, attacked us like lice- we scratched ourselves to the edge of madness. In the process we became as withered as crickets, as tired as old dogs."

"Grief is a disease. We were riddled with its pockmarks, tormented by its fevers, broken by its blows. It ate at us like maggots, attacked us like lice- we scratched ourselves to the edge of madness. In the process we became as withered as crickets, as tired as old dogs."

Yann Martel, Canadian Author

Grief, Pain, Suffering, Loss

23

"If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble."

"If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble."

Moliere, French Playwright

23

"Chip, she's gone, and he said, "I thought I'd feel her looking down on us, but you're right. She's just gone."

"Chip, she's gone, and he said, "I thought I'd feel her looking down on us, but you're right. She's just gone."

John Green, American Author

Grief, Loss, Emotion, Life

23

"We may not commit a lesser Sin under pretence to avoid a greater, but we may, nay we ought to endure the greatest Pain and Grief rather than commit the least Sin."

"We may not commit a lesser Sin under pretence to avoid a greater, but we may, nay we ought to endure the greatest Pain and Grief rather than commit the least Sin."

Mary Astell, English Writer

Grief, May, Pain, Sin

22

"Since grief only aggravates your loss, grieve not for what is past."

"Since grief only aggravates your loss, grieve not for what is past."

Walker Percy, American Writer

Grief, Loss, Past

22

"Can I see another's woe, and not be in sorrow too? Can I see another's grief, and not seek for kind relief?"

"Can I see another's woe, and not be in sorrow too? Can I see another's grief, and not seek for kind relief?"

William Blake, English Poet

22

"And I felt like my heart had been so thoroughly and irreparably broken that there could be no real joy again, that at best there might eventually be a little contentment. Everyone wanted me to get help and rejoin life, pick up the pieces and move on, and I tried to, I wanted to, but I just had to lie in the mud with my arms wrapped around myself, eyes closed, grieving, until I didn't have to anymore."

"And I felt like my heart had been so thoroughly and irreparably broken that there could be no real joy again, that at best there might eventually be a little contentment. Everyone wanted me to get help and rejoin life, pick up the pieces and move on, and I tried to, I wanted to, but I just had to lie in the mud with my arms wrapped around myself, eyes closed, grieving, until I didn't have to anymore."

Anne Lamott, American Author

Grief, Loss, Pain, Life

22

"One often calms one's grief by recounting it."

"One often calms one's grief by recounting it."

Pierre Corneille, French Dramatist

21

"Touch'd either the Passions of Rage or Grief to a Miracle."

"Touch'd either the Passions of Rage or Grief to a Miracle."

Barton Booth, English Actor

21

"What is deservedly suffered must be borne with calmness, but when the pain is unmerited, the grief is resistless."

"What is deservedly suffered must be borne with calmness, but when the pain is unmerited, the grief is resistless."

Ovid, Roman Poet

21

"Grief is perhaps an unknown territory for you. You might feel both helpless and hopeless without a sense of a "map" for the journey. Confusion is the hallmark of a transition. To rebuild both your inner and outer world is a major project."

"Grief is perhaps an unknown territory for you. You might feel both helpless and hopeless without a sense of a "map" for the journey. Confusion is the hallmark of a transition. To rebuild both your inner and outer world is a major project."

Anne Grant, Scottish Poet

Grief, Confusion, Journey, Project

20

"The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then queen died of grief is a plot."

"The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then queen died of grief is a plot."

E. M. Forster, English Novelist

20

"The natural effect of sorrow over the dead is to refine and elevate the mind."

"The natural effect of sorrow over the dead is to refine and elevate the mind."

Washington Irving, American Writer

Grief, Effect, Mind, Sorrow

20

"Pity speaks to grief More sweetly than a band of instruments."

"Pity speaks to grief More sweetly than a band of instruments."

Barry Cornwall, English Poet

20

"I became quietly seized with that nostalgia that overcomes you when you have reached the middle of your life and your father has recently died and it dawns on you that when he went he took some of you with him."

"I became quietly seized with that nostalgia that overcomes you when you have reached the middle of your life and your father has recently died and it dawns on you that when he went he took some of you with him."

Bill Bryson, American Writer

Grief, Loss, Identity, Memory

20

"I feel the monster of grief again, writhing in the empty space where my heart and stomach used to be. I gasp, pressing both palms to my chest. Now the monstrous thing has its claws around my throat, squeezing my airway. I twist and put my head between my knees, breathing until the strangled feeling leaves me."

"I feel the monster of grief again, writhing in the empty space where my heart and stomach used to be. I gasp, pressing both palms to my chest. Now the monstrous thing has its claws around my throat, squeezing my airway. I twist and put my head between my knees, breathing until the strangled feeling leaves me."

Veronica Roth, American Author

Grief, Breath, Loss, Pain

20

"How could you give me life, and take from me all the inappreciable things that raise it from the state of conscious death? Where are the graces of my soul? Where are the sentiments of my heart? What have you done, oh, Father, What have you done with the garden that should have bloomed once, in this great wilderness here? Said louisa as she touched her heart."

"How could you give me life, and take from me all the inappreciable things that raise it from the state of conscious death? Where are the graces of my soul? Where are the sentiments of my heart? What have you done, oh, Father, What have you done with the garden that should have bloomed once, in this great wilderness here? Said louisa as she touched her heart."

Charles Dickens, English Novelist

Grief, Life, Soul, Heart, Emotion

20

"Only tears can hear the sound of pain when warm blood reddens discolored stain."

"Only tears can hear the sound of pain when warm blood reddens discolored stain."

Munia Khan, Bangladeshi Poet

Grief, Pain, Tears, Blood, Emotion

20

"There was a roaring in my ears and I lost track of what they were saying. I believe it was the physical manifestation of unbearable grief."

"There was a roaring in my ears and I lost track of what they were saying. I believe it was the physical manifestation of unbearable grief."

Barbara Kingsolver, American Novelist

Grief, Pain, Loss, Emotion

19

"... when she called to mind all this utter and crushing misery that had come upon my aunts' old music-master, she was moved to very real grief, and shuddered to think of that other grief, so different in its bitterness, which Mlle. Vinteuil must now be feeling, tinged with remorse at having virtually killed her father."

"... when she called to mind all this utter and crushing misery that had come upon my aunts' old music-master, she was moved to very real grief, and shuddered to think of that other grief, so different in its bitterness, which Mlle. Vinteuil must now be feeling, tinged with remorse at having virtually killed her father."

Marcel Proust, French Author

Grief, Remorse, Death, Emotion

19

"Grief, and an estate, is joy understood."

"Grief, and an estate, is joy understood."

Gregory Nunn, American Athlete

18

"You know what the doctor said to me to cheer me up?" Fat said. "There are worse diseases than cancer.""Did he show you slides?"We both laughed. When you are nearly crazy with grief, you laugh at what you can."

"You know what the doctor said to me to cheer me up?" Fat said. "There are worse diseases than cancer.""Did he show you slides?"We both laughed. When you are nearly crazy with grief, you laugh at what you can."

Philip K. Dick, American Writer

Grief, Humor, Pain, Coping

18

"Grief is only the memory of widowed affections."

"Grief is only the memory of widowed affections."

James Martineau, English Philosopher

18

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